


Bad Boy’s Love

by DroppedAllTheseOreos



Category: Kamen Rider Ryuki
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hatoful Boyfriend Fusion, Background Akiyama Ren/Kido Shinji, Gen, Hatoful Boyfriend spoilers, M/M, Medical Procedures, Mentions of Other Ryuki characters, One-Sided Attraction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:22:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27751489
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DroppedAllTheseOreos/pseuds/DroppedAllTheseOreos
Summary: On what seemed like the worst day of their lives, Shinji and Ren made a deal that determined their fates.Also the school infirmary staff monologues about his tragic backstory crush for what seems like way too long.
Relationships: Toujou Satoru/Kagawa Hideyuki
Kudos: 1
Collections: Another Toku Holiday Special (2020)





	Bad Boy’s Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MarineHaddock](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarineHaddock/gifts).



> If we use the "two cakes" fanfiction analogy, then I had the idea to make this two cakes, but as I worked on the second cake I realized how similar they were, so instead I decided to Frankenstein the second, bigger cake on top of the first one.
> 
> I hope this works for you, I know it's not Tojo trying to romance Sensei like they're protag and Nanaki-sensei, and Shinji doesn't feature heavily but the lab section in BBL really inspired me.

When Ren was eleven, it felt like his life was already over. The little crow couldn't imagine how things could ever get worse than today unless Shinji somehow got taken away from him. _Oh gods,_ he hoped Shinji didn't get taken away from him. Given what just happened, there was no telling what would happen to his human friend. Ren managed to look up, blinking away his tears to peek at Shinji, all curled up and sobbing into his knees, hands clutched over his ears. Ren kicked himself mentally. How could he even think this was the worst day ever when it was _Shinji's_ parents who'd been killed. By his own kind, no less.

All they were doing was trying to help.

Why did humans and birds have to hurt each other like this? Why did humans and birds hurt their own kind, too? Why couldn't they all just get along? Shinji's parents believed they could and worked so hard to try and prove that.

But now they were dead, and Shinji was crying, and Ren had no idea what to do to make this better.

He shuffled closer to the human, just wanting to make his presence known, show he was there for Shinji. And miraculously, Shinji's crying started to settle down. Ren wasn't sure if Shinji legitimately felt better or if this was just an attempt to show a brave face. But he got his answer in the way that the human fought so hard to choke down his crying, hiccupping violently and rubbing at his eyes. All so he could give a red-faced, wet smile to Ren. As if the crow was the one in need of reassurance. Even though Shinji's shoulders were still shaking and his lips were trembling, struggling to even give that sunshine smile that seemed to be his natural expression.

Ren could feel his heart breaking. Shinji was so strong. How could the human be this strong when he'd just lost everything in a matter of seconds? He nuzzled his head against Shinji's leg, trying to give him the same comfort. The human seemed to appreciate it, and Ren did it a bit more.

"It's okay to be sad, Ren." Shinji said with a shaky voice, "You're our family, too. You and your mom... I know it's not by blood, or even species but—"

The heartfelt words got cut off by a sudden bout of shaking and involuntary sounds from deep down in the human's lungs. It was like Shinji was dry heaving, pained _'huu-huuh'_ sounds forcing themselves out of him, his hands suddenly coming up to cover his face, as if they were trying to catch the sounds and keep them from coming out. Ren's stomach curdled as he listened. The hot surge of joy that wracked his body from the knowledge that they were family was quickly turned into a roiling, prickling feeling of hopelessness as the reality of Shinji's parents came crashing back.

His voice cracked as he opened his beak, "You're family, too."

Shinji nodded, nodding as he continued to make those noises and sob into his hands. The human couldn't stay with them, though. The Akiyama nest was small, one of those cheaper places that were only built with housing birds in mind. They _could_ make it work, but would that even be living for Shinji, being all cramped like that?

As he brooded over the concept, a shadow fell over him. Technically it fell over them both, but since it was a little birdie shadow, Shinji was too big for it to properly cover him dramatically. When they looked up, a little blue and white lovebird loomed over them.

Shinji made a wet sniffling sound, mumbling, "So fluffy..." in a sort of dazed way.

The bird didn't acknowledge it. Maybe they didn't hear, and Ren hoped they didn't because he didn't like the look being directed at both of them. It was cold, judging, seemingly sizing them up. Ren was familiar with it from bullies deciding if a sickly little crow like him was even worth shaking down for lunch money. Most birds wouldn't dare look at Shinji like that, given his size and strength, but seeing this one do it sent a chill down Ren's spine. He stepped out in front of Shinji. If this was a human-hating bird out to get his friend, he'd protect Shinji no matter what.

But the lovebird just held a wing up, focusing his gaze onto Ren, and the crow froze like it would bore a hole through him if he moved, "If you had any desire, any wish you wanted to be granted, what would it be?"

Ren's eyes widened and he took a step back. A random stranger just offering them a wish? His birdie instincts were going wild, screaming 'danger' at him, but Shinji quietly asked, "A magician bird?" behind him. Shinji's hunter-gatherer instincts tended to be better than his own at sensing threats, so if the human was at ease with him, maybe it would be okay to trust this strange lovebird.

He was proud of himself for keeping his voice steady when he said, "I wish for a world where humans and birds don't fight anymore."

Ren turned back to meet Shinji's eyes, giving him a reassuring nod, and then looked back to the lovebird. Their gaze seemed to be fixed on Shinji now, maybe silently asking if there was anything he wanted to add on. The human got that familiar, stubborn look in his eyes and his lips pursed slightly in a resolute pout as he nodded, "Me too. I would do anything to make Ren's wish come true."

The lovebird regarded them, gaze flicking between the two silently. Ren started puffing his chest out defensively, and even Shinji's fascination was turning into discomfort, but they settled when the bird finally started speaking, turning to leave as he did.

"It might not be today, or tomorrow, or even anytime soon. But I promise that I'll make your wish come true."

And almost instantly, the bird was gone. Not even the fluttering of wings accompanied the disappearance, the stranger seemingly disappearing in the blink of an eye. When Ren turned back to Shinji, he seemed like he finally calmed down, giving the crow his usual sunshine grin.

"It's really gonna come true, Ren, I believe that."

Ren couldn't help but return the smile.

* * *

It was technically coming true. That's what the doctor said, but Ren never... _Never_ wanted his wish to come true through the extinction of the human race! Never wanted it to come at the cost of Shinji.

Shinji...

Ren nearly vomited again at the thought of what the doctor had turned Shinji into. Turned them both into. Shinji, now a broken, nearly dead husk on the secret basement laboratory's floor. All because of Ren's stupid, stupid idea to electrocute him with the taser Kanzaki-san, the _janitor_ of all birdies, gave him. And now the doctor was expecting Ren to become the carrier for some super-virus that would eliminate the entire human race? And he'd been making Ren's already compromised immune system worse to make him a perfect house for the virus, so it would undoubtedly kill him as well once this was done.

On that day, when the doctor approached them, Ren thought he might have to die for his wish to come true. Just like Shinji's parents.

But never in a thousand years, no... Even with all the time in the world, he never could have imagined that things would turn out like this.

"Why are you granting my wish anyway!" Ren shouts at the doctor, "How do you even know about that?"

The doctor gives him a cruel smirk, "Why don't I tell you a little story? Might help to fill in the gaps in your memory."

* * *

"Sacrificing one life to save ten. That is the meaning of a true hero. And that is exactly what this program has set out to do. We want to find bright, new birds who will be able to make those calls and propel us into a new age."

Tojo leaned forward eagerly in his desk, eyes fixed on the Andaman treepie standing at the front of the room. He introduced himself as Professor Kagawa Hideyuki, and Tojo was feverishly intrigued.

Professors from the nearby medical college came over to present the introductory program they were hosting for the Honors Biology students of Tojo's school. The lovebird hadn't been too interested. He already had enough credits and a solid plan of applying to a different college. Sure, it was less prestigious, but prestigious often didn't offer financial aid unless one was "well-rounded," or had nepotism on their side. And while nepotism was technically an option, he wasn't that bird any more.

Tojo would make his own path.

Or, that was the plan. But now, his confidence in that path was suddenly shattered by the appearance of Professor Kagawa presenting a completely new one with his no-holds-barred introduction to the course. It opened his eyes to so many things he hadn't been considering; things his high school was apparently too cowardly to talk about. It was a truth he was vaguely aware of, but never engaged with it until Kagawa-sensei turned his attention towards it.

Tojo felt so foolish for his confidence from before. How could he have been so proud of only giving half measures before? He'd only ever done just enough. Just enough to get passing grades in his classes while still looking good for college applications. Just enough extracurriculars where he didn't seem like a complete shut-in and would actually be productive to society. And to think he saw himself as better than everyone else when he wasn't scrambling around to make himself look good in front of the professors before they arrived or working his feathers off to make sure the teacher could see his interest in the program.

This made him realize he could've been doing so much more.

He needed to get into this program. Not only to learn more about the work they were doing but... More than anything, he wanted to work with Kagawa-sensei. Tojo was starting to regret that he hadn't put in the interest when the opportunity was first presented. Taken his teacher aside and talked to him so he could maybe try and ensure a space.

Tojo started running numbers in his head, trying to remember how he did on the last few tests to see if he'd be anywhere near the top of the class. The professors started to leave, and everyone was giving a disjointed thank you and goodbye to them. But before he turned away, Professor Kagawa scanned the classroom, then locked eyes with Tojo.

The lovebird froze in place. Maybe he was imagining it. Professor Kagawa was leaving with the rest, nothing like in the movies where he'd be frozen, staring Tojo down until one of his colleagues reminded him they had to leave. But also, what if he _had_ been staring? Had Tojo done anything to stand out? He didn't think so, but the idea of the treepie picking him out of all these other birds sent his heart racing.

Tojo had never felt anything like this before.

* * *

Fortunately enough, their biology teacher picked the five candidates based on their grades, and while he wasn't the top of the class because he wasn't giving 100%, Tojo was the fourth one on the list. And just like that, his next after school activity saw him skipping work at the infirmary to be taken to the university labs, surrounded by all kinds of adult birds and working with Kagawa-sensei. Sensei...

"Since we'll be your mentors for this program, you can use "sensei" for all of us." He'd said on the first day, and Tojo had felt his eyes go wide with awe. It was only the first day and already he was treating them as closer to him, like they were actually his students. And when he wasn't demonstrating how to use some equipment or a procedure to the students, he was very silent, only commenting on the students' work if there was some flaw he noticed or a way it could be done better. He was incredible.

As they got to meet the other professors, Tojo found he didn't like them as much. He hoped that they might share Kagawa-sensei's attitude and morals. They didn't speak at the presentation beyond introductions, so it was hard for Tojo to gauge them at first, but he was quickly disappointed. It would've been hard to live up to the standard Kagawa-sensei set, but they could never come close.

There was Shibaura, a hornbill, who was doing studies on bio-mechanical interfaces. Tojo initially would've guessed his work had something to do with prosthetics, but it seemed more like an excuse to play videogames at work. Shibaura was working on something that he hypothesized would help map the brain by exposing birds to certain stimuli, testing them with different genres of video games. Tojo immediately didn't like him, too cocky and loud. He seemed completely out of place in these labs.

Then there was Saito. Perfectly boring and dreary looking Saito. He was a psychologist specializing in music therapy. Not much else to say besides him being a rock dove. Not much to say about Ogawa, either. At least Ogawa seemed to have a better personality than the other two. The budgie was very inviting towards all the students. Though as a chemist, her lack of object permanence was alarming. Though she seemed to do well enough in such an intense environment, with an emphasis on organizational and awareness skills. He wondered how she even made it this far since she seemed to think her reflection was another bird. And there were a lot of reflective surfaces in the lab. A lot... Tojo guessed it made her interesting, at least.

Tojo only found two birds worth paying attention to outside of Kagawa-sensei. Kanzaki and... Nakamura... Sensei's research assistant. Nakamura hadn't come to the presentation, so Tojo had the unpleasant surprise of being introduced to him on the second day of the program. Though his and Sensei's relationship didn't seem to be all too close, so maybe there was a chance for Tojo to be noticed.

And he'd rather focus on Kanzaki instead. The mourning dove seemed like the only other one who could provide the kind of guidance Tojo could actually learn from. He seemed to be the second-most competent scientist there, and yet his project was completely unrealistic. He was studying how to tear holes in the universe in hopes of peeking through and seeing other dimensions, possibly the afterlife or this mirror world thing he kept going on and on about. He and Kagawa-sensei often got into fights, bickering about this and that and how to best fix whatever problem they decided to try and solve that day.

And for some reason, despite how disappointing the other candidates were, the rest of the students seemed to flock to them. Perhaps it was for the best, Tojo got Kagawa-sensei to himself. Plus, the other professors wouldn't be too overwhelmed getting to work with five students at once, with this sort of apprentice system. And with that idea in his head, Tojo set out to be the best student to Kagawa-sensei, wanting to set a good impression and prove he could be a better assistant than Nakamura.

But one day, Kagawa-sensei pulled him aside, leading him into his office. Tojo started panicking, wondering what he did wrong because the treepie gave him such a stern look when he called him over. Once the door was closed and they were comfortably seated, well Kagawa-sensei was comfortably seated, Tojo still felt twitchy and anxious.

"Tojo, you're a very different young bird from the one I saw during our presentation at your school."

Tojo jolted slightly. Different? But he didn't think he changed that much. Sure, he was a little more attentive to Kagawa-sensei than a teacher-student relationship should be, but he just admired him.

Kagawa-sensei nodded, "When I saw you during the presentation, I got the impression you were very sure of yourself, didn't put much stock into what others thought. But now that you're here, I can't help but notice that you refuse to disagree with me at any point."

Tojo narrowed his eyes, "Should I be arguing with you, Kagawa-sensei?"

Sighing softly, Kagawa-sensei folded his wings before his face, deep in thought. "No, arguing without cause is meaningless. I just saw someone in that classroom I thought was independent, but still looked to their elders for guidance. Not someone who relied on them. Do you understand?"

Tojo nodded slowly, suddenly feeling ashamed, "Yes Kagawa-sensei, you don't like suck ups, right? And that's all I've been since I got here."

Kagawa-sensei nodded, giving him a harsh look, "There's a lot of potential in you, Tojo, but you can't let it be wasted on impressing others. Making your own decisions, the important ones, that'll be what really impresses people."

Tojo nodded, and Kagawa-sensei stood. The lovebird stood quickly and bowed to him, thanking him. Kagawa-sensei could've just let him keep sucking up. That's what a lot of his other teachers seemed to want. But Kagawa-sensei was kind enough to take him aside and give him this talk. Tojo called his teachers appropriately since it was only respectful, but this was the first time he ever felt "Sensei" was so appropriate. He'd be sure to never disappoint Sensei again.

* * *

After that, Tojo did his best to ensure that Sensei noticed him, but balanced it with a healthy curiosity. He still got his work in on time, acted like a perfect student. But eventually, he worked through his nerves to stay after and ask Sensei for help, or even talk about parts of the lesson where he disagreed. And Sensei helped him in that calm tone with his stern neutral expression. He walked Tojo through problems he didn't understand, taking time to show him past projects or some current work in the labs as a visual and tactile aid. Or if Tojo expressed a problem with one of Sensei's opinions or statements, they'd get into a discussion. Nothing like the explosiveness between Sensei and Kanzaki, but it definitely got heated sometimes.

Tojo didn't even know he was more of a tactile learner but Sensei had figured it out and adapted so quickly. He'd never retained his lessons so well before. One day, Sensei even told him "You should start asking these questions in front of the class. The other birds might learn from you," and Tojo's heart swelled with happiness.

The course went by in such a blissful breeze that Tojo was devastated when he realized he'd have to go back to his normal, boring life of sugar-coated high school lessons. Back to the empty, vapid life where no one talked about the difficult decisions they'd encounter as adults. How would he prepare himself properly if that was going to be his education? It bothered him so much he accidentally applied too much pressure on his pipette bulb, spraying water all over his test samples, then walked into the door between the virology lab and the hallway more than once trying to find something to wipe the counter down with.

Sensei ended up pulling him aside to ask what was wrong, but Tojo just shook his head, insisting he was fine. He didn't want to give Sensei the impression he couldn't handle things without him. Especially after the talk in his office. How pathetic would that be to admit? That he was still somehow reliant on Sensei and this new world he'd opened Tojo's eyes to.

Sensei patted his shoulder, "Tojo, I was going to wait until the course was done to tell you this, but maybe it's best to say it now. We're very impressed with your work and we'd like to invite you back next semester."

Tojo snapped to attention, then tried to drop his shoulders and seem relaxed, not too eager, "Really?"

Sensei nodded curtly, and Tojo's chest puffed out a bit. Sensei wanted him to stay by his side! He could keep learning with him!

"Now, unless there's anything you'd like to tell me, there's some samples that need results back by the end of today."

Tojo nodded eagerly, thanking him and getting right back to work.

* * *

Tojo was invited back for a third semester as well. Again and again, until the program extended a wing to him to stay with them permanently if he chose to apply at their university. He dropped his plans for his old college immediately and started working hard to raise his grades to the level they needed to be to apply. They even offered him a free ride a month after he applied, which he gladly accepted.

The rest of his school life went by in a blur, he barely even registered his graduation day. Tojo only recognized it as a stepping stone to finally being able to spend even more time in the labs. He even warmed up a bit to Nakamura over all that time spent together, but Tojo still wanted to be Sensei's number one assistant. Now that he was going to be in college, at the university Sensei researched at, no less. He could finally prove himself and take that spot.

Summer was a bit of a pain because of that. All the waiting. Just sitting around doing nothing until he could officially be a college student. It was made even worse with no Sensei or labs to spend all this spare time with. The team asked him to take a break, enjoy himself. How could he enjoy himself when there was perfectly good research to be worked on at the labs? Those viral strains weren't going to isolate themselves.

Thankfully, Tojo got the idea to do his own research on the fifth day of summer break. He wanted to do the actual conducting part of his research, but with his limited supplies at home, he was stuck with only the reading part. At least that was interesting, though he itched to get back to work.

Just before the end of the longest summer of his life, Sensei asked Tojo to come to his office one day.

"Tojo, since you're about to become an official member of our group, we've agreed it's time to tell you the true nature of our work, and who's behind it."

Tojo tilted his head curiously, unsure of where this was going. Wasn't the university funding their work?

"Our group is called Earth Crawlers and we, as well as the college are funded by and working for the Hawks Party."

Tojo's eyes went wide. The Hawks Party? But their goal was—

"I'm sure you've put the implications together. You're quick like that. I know this is a very difficult position you've been put in, but you still have a choice to make. You can leave now, and members of the Hawks Party will be sent out to eliminate you, or you stay, and continue the work you've been doing with us."

Tojo knew he ought to consider this carefully, just like Sensei taught him, but his path was all too clear. He'd lost his parents in a human attack. He didn't have much love for them from the way they treated him, but he had even less love for humans. The creatures that ripped everything away from him and so many other birds. All for senseless attempts to get back what they had before the influenza plague that nearly swept them off the face of the Earth.

Sensei seemed to have picked up on his choice, and Tojo nodded just to make sure there was no room for argument, "I guess no ride's really free, is it?" Sensei looked like he was about to comment, but Tojo just grinned, "Don't worry. I'll gladly join, Sensei."

Sensei seemed so happy at that, his usually stern expression breaking into a slight smile, "We're happy to have you, Tojo."

He got up from his desk, and Tojo stood as well, his chest puffing out a bit as Sensei placed a gentle wing against his back. "Actually, I have research abroad to do in the next few weeks. And I thought as a welcoming present, I'd take you with me as my assistant while Nakamura holds things down here for me."

Sensei was...? Was he really? This was too good to be true. He often went on business trips but... Maybe it was a test? It had to be a test, his first test, to see if Tojo would take the easier option and go with Sensei, or continue to do important work here and continue saving lives now that he knew their true goals.

Tojo bowed his head, "Thank you Sensei, but that trip might clash with orientation and my first week of classes. I want to make sure I'm making the most of this opportunity you've helped to give me at this school."

Sensei seemed shocked, beak falling open like he wanted to protest it, but he just hummed in acknowledgment, nodding again. "Very well. That's very responsible of you, Tojo. Well, I'll see you after the semester starts, then."

* * *

Tojo ended up seeing Sensei first. He came back from his trip deathly sick, and the lovebird ran like he never had before to his hospital room. Tojo spent every moment of free time pouring himself into his work for Sensei's sake or visiting him. But nobirdie had ever cured this disease before in a patient that didn't have the immune response to it. And because of that, it was ravaging Sensei's body faster than modern medicine expected it to. For once, this period of Tojo's life slowed to a painful crawl as he watched Sensei waste away.

He knew he had to do something.

* * *

Tojo watched silently from the sidelines as Sensei's heart monitor finally flatlined. Everyone in the room started expressing their grief, but not Tojo. There wasn't any point in it. Maybe it would've helped with appearances since Nakamura was giving him suspicious looks. But Tojo didn't want to waste time on trivial things, he needed to be focused for this next part, after all. All sounds became distant and muffled as he started stepping away from the hospital bed. The rest of the team stayed, but Tojo knew the nurses would be coming to usher them out so his body could be taken down to the morgue.

It wasn't often that this disease got to be researched at facilities here in Japan, after all. He was sure that the medical examiners here would be more than eager to get the chance to study it. Not that Tojo would let them.

He headed down to the basement levels, ducking into one of the bathrooms near the morgue. Tojo went into the third stall, right under the vent, then produced a mini screwdriver from his jacket pocket. He braced himself as he flitted up, trying to hover steadily enough to remove the cover. Just as it swung open, his other talon deftly reached out to grab the plastic bag he hid there. Once Tojo had the vent cover back in place, he stepped back onto the ground and quickly changed into the medical examiner uniform he'd hidden inside.

With a surgical mask and cap covering most of his face and head, he was hopefully unrecognizable enough to be mistaken for a mortuary intern or technician. After that, everything was a breeze. He was able to intercept Sensei as he came into the morgue, promising the pathologist he'd get the body properly prepared and stored. It almost seemed too convenient that the doctors didn't notice the drugs that had been slipped into Sensei's IV drip.

Maybe it was only a matter of time until they did, but Tojo made sure to be clean and efficient with his work. There was no way to trace it to him, and both he and Sensei would be long gone before anyone noticed he was missing. Tojo was sure of it. He had to be. Otherwise, this was all for nothing.

They'd just take Sensei back and keep trying their fruitless, "ethical" treatments. What did any of them know about ethics? How could it be ethical to just leave a patient to die when there were so many options they were unwilling to try?

As he wheeled Sensei out of the hospital and into the parking lot to load him up into his car, he tried to push thoughts of incompetent doctors out of his mind. He had plenty of work to occupy his mind when he got back home after all.

He kept Sensei alive in his basement. With whatever medical supplies he could scrounge from their work labs and items he deemed "good enough" from local drugstores. No, more than kept him alive, he was _saving_ Sensei! He would be the hero that he needed. Going beyond what everyone else believed in and doing the things they refused to touch. The doctors treating him were cowards. But it was fine. It just set the stage for him to prove himself to Sensei, that he was finally the hero he'd been teaching him to be.

* * *

The next few months were rough, lots of trial and error, but Tojo stuck through it because he knew he could do this. He could save Sensei. 

The virus was difficult to isolate, but Tojo would keep trying. In the meanwhile, all he could do was treat the symptoms, like the hacks in the hospital did. But he tried some more experimental, more effective but controversial treatments, and Sensei seemed to be doing much better with them. By the four-month mark, Tojo could proudly say he did better than any of those other hacks at the hospital. Sensei wasn't only stable nowadays, he was getting _better._ Tojo was pushing the limits of modern medicine past what anyone dared to try, and he'd keep doing it until he'd defeated this terrible foe.

It almost felt like they were back in the Earth Crawler labs together, but even better. Sensei greeted him with a smile every morning, then silently watched his work, making any quiet comments or corrections if he saw the need. Sometimes he'd ask about Tojo's process, and he happily filled Sensei in on everything he did.

Every so often, Sensei would give him a look, like he disapproved, but he would never say anything, so Tojo just strove to do even better.

And as the weeks turned into even more months, Sensei started talking more. It was strange, but Tojo liked listening to him anyway. He went on about his wife and son, and all the fun, mundane little things they'd get up to. It sounded so perfectly boring and domestic, but Tojo liked listening because it was Sensei. Sometimes he'd even indulge in a fantasy or two about getting to live a life like that with him. Just silly little things that could never come to pass.

Sensei's condition continued to improve under Tojo's careful watch and treatment, and one day he had a distant look in his eyes. Just staring at the back wall but not really seeming to see it. Not wanting to disturb Sensei's deep thought, Tojo went about his day like normal; though he was a little miffed about missing out on Sensei's greeting that morning.

It was about mid-afternoon when Sensei finally turned to him, fixing Tojo in place with a serious look.

"Tojo, I'm very proud of everything you've done here." Tojo's heart swelled with happiness, but that wasn't the end of what Sensei had to say.

"You've already done so much for me, but I have one last selfish request." Tojo sat down in the chair next to Sensei's bed and leaned in, nodding subtly, "As soon as I'm better, I'd like to go and see my family again. There'll be a lot we have to sort out once I can go outside again, but I'd like to do that first."

Something about that sent an ice-cold shock through Tojo's heart, making it beat wildly, anxiously. But it was Sensei's request, and he couldn't turn it down. So he nodded, promising he'd make it happen.

* * *

Sensei stirred in his sleep, and Tojo got up to find the sedatives again. Nowadays, whenever Sensei was awake, his days were nothing but suffering. It was better if he just slept through this part of the process. Tojo didn't know where he went wrong, but he'd get back to all that good progress he was making with Sensei's recovery from the months before.

He went through the familiar motions: measure out the sedative, depress the flange to get the air bubbles out, then insert it into the IV. But at the last step, Tojo paused, getting caught up in watching the steady drip, drip, drip, of the fluids in the bag. He had to keep going, but he just felt so _tired_ lately. Where had he gone wrong?

"Tojo," Sensei said weakly, drawing his attention away from the IV.

"Sensei," Tojo whispered, setting the syringe down and rushing to the man's side as he struggled to sit up. Tojo pressed on his shoulder softly to get him to lay back down. He needed his rest so he could get better. Tojo promised to get him healthy again so he could go back to his family and Tojo could be by his side forever—

"Tojo, listen to me," Sensei struggled against him, and he let go out of fear of hurting him, taking his seat next to the bed and listening intently.

"I'm going to die. I know you tried your best, and I thank you for it. But you need to let go..." He swallowed hard, looking away, seemingly focused on his hands folded neatly over his lap. But Tojo could see the way he was trembling, probably struggling with the effort he was putting in to sit up and say everything he needed. Struggling for Tojo, "Sometimes... A hero needs to realize when he has to give up. When he has to accept his losses. Heroes aren't perfect, they can't save everyone."

Tojo froze, breath caught in his chest as he stared at Sensei in disbelief. His throat constricted, he couldn't— "But you said—!"

"I know what I said, Tojo." Sensei's voice was soft, but his tone was firm, cold almost. He'd never sounded like that towards him before...

"Listen closely. This is my final wish, and I want you to carry it out if you can. I've been... a neglectful father. There were so many things I promised to my family that I never gave them. It's the reason I'm estranged from them, now. So if you encounter my son, I want you to do him a favor. He should be around your age, actually. Perhaps I enjoyed our time spent together so much because I felt like I was doing something right for once in all the areas I failed him."

Sensei's eyes grew misty, and he finally faced Tojo again. He took a moment to blink away the tears threatening to spill over in his eyes, then put a hand on his shoulder, "His name is Akiyama Ren. He took his mother's name after the split. You don't have to seek him out, but if you happen to meet, please help him with whatever he might need when you meet. Promise me you'll do this."

Tojo couldn't hold Sensei's intense gaze after hearing that. Because he failed Sensei, he was giving him a final challenge to redeem himself. Now he was the one trembling, eyes watering, and that lump in his throat, pressing too tight and painful against the tissues, had made its return. He breathed shakily, inhaling deeper than he exhaled and all too quickly. But strangely, it helped to get himself back under control so he could meet Sensei's gaze. The steady contact against his shoulder hadn't faltered once, so the least he could do was meet his eyes for this one last thing.

Tojo looked up, nodding solemnly. Relief washed over him as Sensei smiled at him, maybe for the last time, seeming so happy for taking his final challenge. Slowly, his hand slipped from Tojo's shoulder, and he laid back down, easily slipping back into sleep. He looked so peaceful, and Tojo knew he needed to preserve his happiness like this before the disease would make him suffer anymore. He took the syringe, measuring and mixing in some other chemicals he knew would interact with the current substance in the way he needed. Once it was ready, he pushed out the air bubbles and injected it directly into Sensei's arm.

If he couldn't defeat the disease, all he could do was claim Sensei first. As the drugs he administered took hold, he listened to the heart monitor slow and flatline, his own touch on Sensei's pulse as it faded away. It was almost like Tojo could see the life drain out of him. His skin lost all its color, even though he knew it'd take more time than the mere moments he'd been watching for the blood to start draining from his face and pooling towards his back. He'd need to properly dispose of the body somehow, clean up his whole operation, then figure out how he was going to go back to living as if nothing happened.

But that was for future Tojo. Right now, all he could do was fall to his knees at the side of the bed, bury his face in the blankets next to him, and sob. His only remaining company was his howls as they echoed off the suddenly distant and empty feeling walls.

* * *

It was a few years later when he finally met Akiyama Ren. He looked young, not exactly near Tojo's age like he said. The crow looked like he was just about to enter middle school, potentially already in his first year. Perhaps for someone at Sensei's age, the age gap between them still counted as "close." Tojo had done his research on Sensei's estranged son. He had to make sure he knew every possible detail so he wouldn't miss their fateful encounter if it ever came to pass. The crow looked distraught, and standing next to him was a human, looking equally so, if not more.

How ironic that Sensei put all his work into eradicating them from the planet only for his son to befriend one. Well, he still had his promise to keep. As the police arrived on whatever scene seemed to be happening, clearing the area and forcing the civilians to stand back. Akiyama and his human companion moved away, both of them curling up on the sidewalk to sit and seemingly cry. It was hard to tell with the human hiding their face like that, and their tucked head and the way Akiyama was leaning in hid the crow's expression from Tojo's sight.

After giving them adequate time to let their emotions out and collect themselves, Tojo approached, ready to begin this final challenge from Sensei.

* * *

Ren felt like vomiting again, letting his tears flow freely. He couldn't believe that he left his wish, _Shinji's fate,_ in the wings of someone like this. And the worst part was, with Shinji gone, there was nothing more for Ren but to go along with this horrifying plan.

**Author's Note:**

> Ren: that told me nothing besides you have the worlds biggest crush on my dead dad  
> Tojo: yup, now it's time for you to get a new liver.
> 
> Also to clear up any confusion, Shiro's a former Earth Crawler who defected to the Dove Party. Sorry, no Urataros and Kintaros in this version of the AU!


End file.
